I Hate Mondays
by The Uncanny R-Man
Summary: Even the X-Men hate Mondays, discover why. WARNING: Contains Scott and Jean bashing. Plz R&R.
1. Frosty

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 1: Frosty**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**And**

**Anything but ordinary**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

_Notes- This is set before all that Xorn-is-actually-Magneto-in-disguise business and as such, Jean Greay is still alive and Scott and Emma haven't had their telepathic affair yet. Also, as with many of my other fics, this contains mild Jean and Scott bashing, you have been warned._

* * *

Emma Frost's day started as it always did, with Scott Summers waking everybody up at an ungodly hour for a Danger Room session. Fortunately, Scott knew better than to knock on Emma's door and request her attendance. Unfortunately for the others, 'request' in Scott Summers's dictionary meant 'command.' Not that it really mattered, nobody took any notice of him and most of the time the only other people in the Danger Room with him were Jean, she didn't have a life anyway, and Logan, who only joined these sessions with Scott to point out the fact that nobody took any notice of him.  
  
Emma cursed the day that Scott was born as she reluctantly got up out of bed and padded over to her en suite bathroom. She usually liked to listen to the radio while she had a shower so she switched on the shower radio to her usual station. Unfortunately, the song playing on the radio was one that Emma hated almost as much as she hated a certain redheaded telepath. As soon as the opening lines of 'Billy Jean' started, Emma ripped the radio from the wall and threw it out of the window. She smiled evilly as she heard the sound of metal and plastic breaking on somebody's head.  
  
'Ow, my head!' Jean yelled.  
  
'Sorry, dear.' Emma called out the window with mock sincerity. 'My hand slipped.'  
  
And with that, Emma went back to her shower.  
  
After getting dressed into her usual attire of reverse X-Bra and white leather hot pants, Emma decided to run the gauntlet to go get something to eat.

* * *

Breakfast in Xavier's, as Emma often said, was like feeding time at the zoo, but without the table manners. And Emma's comments were proven correct when she saw the chaos in the kitchen. There were ice patches all over the floor, feathers in the coffee pot; discarded cigar butts on the floor and somebody had relieved themselves in Emma's favourite coffee mug.  
  
Emma simply ignored the chaos around her and walked over to where she kept her spare coffee cups. She picked one up with the slogan 'Being a Bitch Isn't a Job, it's a Privilege!' and waited for the coffee pot to brew. Emma impatiently drummed her fingers against the counter; there were places that she'd rather be and things that she'd rather do than in a kitchen full of ill-mannered mutants, in the dungeon of the Hellfire Club being Selene's kinky sex monkey for one.  
  
The coffee finally brewed and Emma grabbed up the pot before the others noticed. Unfortunately, Bobby Drake heard the sound of coffee being brewed and spun his head around in Emma's direction.  
  
'Coffee!' He hissed. 'Preciosss coffee...'  
  
The sight that ensued was like something out of a zombie movie as several grown mutants were overcome with the pangs of coffee addiction and lurched towards Emma like the brain-eating undead. Fortunately, Emma managed to fight her way from under the pile of mutants with her coffee still in the cup. She walked out of the room but not without casting a glance behind her to revel in the chaos that she had caused. And what chaos it was, everybody was fighting over the last drop of coffee. Adamantium claws were unsheathed; optic blasts uh... blasted, snowballs thrown... Unfortunately, one of these snowballs hit Emma on the back of the head which made her drop her cup on the floor, smashing it and spilling the precious fluid. Emma spun around to glare at the person that had thrown said frozen projectile.  
  
Bobby Drake let out an 'eep!' of fear as the White Queen advanced on him with murder in his eyes.  
  
Outside, Hank McCoy was on his way to grab his morning Twinkie supplement when he heard the sound of diamond on ice emanating form the kitchen. He quickly spun on his heel and walked the other way; his Twinkie addiction could be satiated later.

* * *

**Later-**  
  
Emma was relaxing in the rec room watching trashy soap operas and eating Sugar Bombs straight out of the box. She also had a face pack on her face, hey; you can never be too beautiful! Emma had the whole mansion to herself as after the little fracas in the kitchen Scott had his first original thought since... ever and quickly sent the X-Men on a mission while those that were left took the students on a field trip.  
  
Emma revelled in the quiet of the mansion. She scratched her butt and burped quite loudly, things that she'd never do with other people around.  
  
The trashy soap opera had just reached a rather juicy part when Emma heard the sound of banging coming from the front door. She cursed under her breath and sent out a telepathic summons for somebody to answer it. Unfortunately, she was the only one in the mansion and had to get up from her comfy recliner and pad over to the front door clad in her fluffy bunny slippers. She quickly gave the person at the door a quick telepathic scan to make sure that they weren't selling something. The last door-to-door salesman that was foolish enough to try to sell anything soon found themselves being used as target practice by some of the more unruly students.  
  
The telepathic scan soon revealed the person to be harmless so Emma opened the door and much to her shock she was almost knocked to the floor by a six foot weretiger clad only in a black bikini that made Emma's usual attire seem conservative. Yup, it was Tigra!  
  
Emma looked down at the unconscious weretiger in her arms, dripping blood all down her leather hot pants. She reached to the other woman's wrist to find a pulse and couldn't help but wonder how she got into such a state, not that she really cared you understand.  
  
'Do you mind?' Emma asked Tigra, even though the former Avenger was obviously unconscious and bleeding quite profusely from several bullet wounds. 'These leather hot pants weren't expensive you know.'  
  
_TBC..._


	2. Hank

**I hate Mondays**

**Chapter 2: Hank**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

_Shout Outs-_

_Agent-G- Heheh. If you thought Emma's day was bad, wait til you see Hank's!_

Hank's day started as it always did by suddenly jerking awake in fear of crushing his bedfellow. He cracked open his eyes carefully the same as always fearing what he might see lying next to him, he looked tentatively at what little extra room there was on the king sized bed on which he was sprawled untidily. Seeing nothing lying noticeably on top of the covers Hank peered cautiously under the covers, finding nothing there he decided he must have eaten her. He sighed bitterly as he threw himself off of the bed, another morning ritual, this one aimed to wake himself up with maximum haste. Hank scratched his head as he decided he would have to find another way to wake himself up in the morning that wasn't so hard on his head. This was the same thought he had every morning; Hank's mornings were nothing if not structured.

Deciding against a shower Hank took the Bobby Drake route to personal hygiene in the morning and sprayed himself with a half can's worth of deodorant and splashed on a little of his cheap cologne. He padded towards his wardrobe and flung the doors open unceremoniously and scanned its contents quickly for something vaguely clean. As Hank pulled on his favourite shirt, freshly washed and ironed courtesy of Jean Grey-Summers, his latent bed partner un-lodged itself from its soft nest of his fur and plopped on the floor.

"Ahh, blessed Twinkie, there you are" Hank cooed at the confectionary as he bent down and picked it up, blowing the remnants of his fur off of it before stuffing it in his feline face.

Having found that particular sugary delight inadequate in abating his hunger Hank decided to make his way down to the kitchen in order to find sustenance and coffee.

As Hank ambled his way along to the kitchen, feeling quite chipper for a Monday morning, he became aware of the sound of snow hitting diamond and winced at the carnage that would surely ensue. There seemed only one course of action left open to him and that was to flee to the nearest Starbucks.

Hank felt decidedly better as he walked out of Starbucks, the day was looking good. For a start his stomach was no longer growling and the coffee had certainly helped wake him up fully. Yes, things were looking decidedly good for a Monday morning. That was until Hank was nearly knocked down by some kids on roller skates and attacked by a small, fluffy dog.

'Dogs are definitely becoming more hazardous in my new feline form' Hank thought with a somewhat bitter smile, as he retreated down a back alley.

"Hank?" A familiar voice called out tentatively behind him. He turned slowly, not sure he really wanted to the see the owner of that sultry voice, luckily for him the figure was obscured by shadow, all of her that is except her legs that were far too long and distracting.

"I recognised your strength aura..." She looked him over "What's happened to you?"

Hank suddenly felt self-conscious, as he looked from her legs to his paws "I er... had another transformation."

The figure shifted its pose slightly as if shifting a weight "I like it, it makes you look powerful."

"Synthia... I think about you a lot, every second when you first disappeared. I wondered if you was a figment of my imagination but that bite...you wanted me to remember"

"I did, you may find it hard to believe but I cared...care for you very much, I understand it probably didn't appear that way, the way I used you and all. You are so unlike any person I have ever met but I don't belong here, I had to return home."

"I understand. The only query I have is what brings you back."

Synthia stepped into the light; the weight she appeared to be carrying now became clear. In her arms Synthia held a small girl of about seven years of age.

"Hank I would like you to meet Helia. Helia, this is your daddy."

TBC... 

_Notes- For those of you that don't know, Synthia is a woman that appeared in an issue of X-Factor in its first run and had a brief but passionate affair with Hank._


	3. Tigra

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 3: Tigra**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**And**

**Anything but ordinary**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

_Shout Outs-_

_Jaenelle Angelline- Heh, Hank becoming a daddy, random, non? _

_Melissarxy1- Correction, the chicks dig the OTHER fuzzy dude. Heck, just ask Anything but ordinary, she's frickin' Hank fangirl! _

_Showstopper- Oh just you wait 'til you see what he wave planned for Hank and co. **MWAHAHAHAHAAA!**_

_SpyOfNabiki- Yup, both Anything but ordinary and I agree with you, hank kicks butt and there isn't enough Beast Fanfic around. More Scott/Jean bashing soon._

_Ldypebsaby- Oh just you wait and see how random this day becomes! Heh._

* * *

**Avengers Mansion-**

Tigra's day started as it always did, by her blissful sleep being interrupted by an alarm clock glaring in her ear. Tigra simply grabbed the offending clock and smashed it against the wall before going back to sleep.

Although Tigra was an inactive Avenger at the moment and had a job as a New York cop to attend with, she decided to take a break and visit her old buddies at the mansion. She was received warmly by the Scarlet Witch and She-Hulk, both who were close friends. Captain America however, was a little wary of the weretiger turning up out of the blue, given that in the past she used to flirt furiously with him.

Tigra let out a groan as somebody walked into her room and pulled open the curtains, illuminating her face with sunlight.

'Nuh.' She mumbled with her head under the pillow. 'Don' wanna... sleepy...'

'C'mon Tigra.' She-Hulk said. 'Rise and shine, it's butt whipping time.'

Tigra muttered something explicit underneath the pillow.

'Jarvis is making waffles.' She-Hulk added.

'Ooh, waffles!' Tigra said, sitting up straight. 'C'mon Jen, the sooner we get there, the sooner we can snag the maple syrup!'

She-Hulk just stood there and watched as Tigra sped out of the room.

'Um Tigra, hadn't you better put some clothes on? You're kinda... naked.'

'Oh right, how silly of me.' Tigra blushed slightly. 'Clothes, heh.'

* * *

**Downstairs-**

Tigra and She-Hulk had joined the rest of the Avengers in the dining room for breakfast. Tigra was guzzling down a huge pile of waffles while the other Avengers just watched on in amazement.

'Geez, I never knew Tigra could eat so much.' Hawkeye said.

'At least we know that nothing will go to waste.' Wanda added.

'If only she would let us get a look in.' Hank Pym, aka Ant-Man uh... Giant-Man, no... Yellowjacket... or is it Goliath? said. _(1)_

'You just eat your oat bran cereal, dear.' Janet Van Dyne replied.

Pym just muttered under his breath and poked at his oats with a spoon.

'I wanted waffles.' He pouted.

'I'll grab you some, High Pockets.' Hawkeye said as he cautiously reached out towards Tigra. Unfortunately, Tigra was aware of this and smacked him on the hand with a spoon.

'No, mine! Or I will help you not!' _(2)_

Hawkeye just cradled his hand and joined Pym in the pouting.

'Um Tigra.' Wanda said. 'You can share those waffles if you want.'

'Too late for that Wanda.' Captain America replied. 'She's eaten them all.'

A collective groan rose from the assembled Avengers.

'I don't suppose you have any oat bran left do you honey?' Jan asked her ex-husband.

'Oh no.' Pym replied. 'You wanted me to have these oats so I'm gonna eat them.'

Pym dug his spoon into the bowl and shovelled a spoonful of oats into his mouth. He winced at the taste, or lack thereof.

'Mmm, so sweet.'

The other Avengers looked up from their places as Tigra let out a meaty burp.

'**BRAAAP!** Oh excuse me, better out than in I say.' The weretiger blushed. 'Well thanks for the breakfast guys, I'd better get going, things to see, people to do.'

The Avengers watched at Tigra departed from the room.

'She meant things to do, people to see, right?' Pym asked.

'You can never tell with Tigra.' She-Hulk shrugged.

* * *

**Salem Centre-**

Tigra was in her civilian identity of Greer Grant-Nelson. He feline form was hidden by the magical amulet that she always wore around her neck, kinda like an image inducer but... magic.

She was about to enter a grocery store to buy random foodstuffs when she saw several police cars speeding behind her chasing a carjacker.

'Uch, I'll never be able to buy those Twinkies for Beast now.' She pouted. 'I know how much he loves them.'

Greer ducked into a nearby alley and pressed her amulet, turning her back into Tigra. Tigra then grabbed onto the rungs of a fire escape and clambered upto the roof of the store. Upon reaching the roof, she surveyed her surrounding for signs of the carjacker. Her heightened feline senses soon picked up the sound of sirens and the sight of flashing lights so she sped across the roof in the direction of the chase.

Down on the road, the carjacker was trying to divide his time by keeping his eyes on the road while firing off pot shots to the advancing police. He almost lost control of the car when he heard something leap onto the car.

'Hi, I don't suppose you know the way to San Hose?' Tigra asked, peering through the windshield.

The carjacker let out a girly shriek and fired a few shots at Tigra. Fortunately for Tigra, he missed.

'I could swear that you car thieves get worse at this stuff every time I catch you.' Tigra tutted.

The carjacker just yelled out obscenities and fired off more shots. Unfortunately, several of them hit Tigra, which made her loose her grip on the roof of the car.

'Oh this is gonna suck.' She winced as she finally felt her grip go. She hit the ground with a thump and rolled into a ditch on the side of the road. The carjacker meanwhile, lost control of the car completely and ploughed straight into a nearby tree and was engulfed in an improbable but impressive fireball.

Tigra looked up weakly from the ditch and noticed that she had conveniently landed right outside the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. She clutched her steadily bleeding bullet wound and limped towards the mansion.

'I haven't got enough time to get to a hospital.' She said to herself. 'There's only one man that can help me now, Hank McCoy!'

Thankfully, the gates to the mansion were open and Tigra limped up the driveway, leaving a steadily increasing trail of blood behind her. When she finally got to the front door, she knocked weakly on the door.

'Come on, come on.' She winced. 'I'm bleeding to death here.'

Tigra was just about to faint from blood loss when the door opened. Tigra fell forwards into the arms of a blonde woman with a face pack and fuzzy bunny slippers. Tigra heard the woman muttering something about bleeding on white leather hot pants before she finally passed out...

_TBC..._

_Notes-_

_(1)- You have to admit that it's damn hard to keep track of what Hank Pym is calling himself nowadays. I think that he's now calling himself Yellowjacket now, right? _

_(2)- Heh, gratuitous Yoda reference. Yoda references R-Man does like, very humorous they are. Hmm, yes..._


	4. Helia

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 4: Helia**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

_Shout Outs-_

_Showstopper- How could I not mention Twinkies? This is a Beast fic after all. _

_Ldypebsaby- Well, seeing that we've had the Mondays of our three main characters, it's time to actually get the story moving. But first, Hank needs to patch up Tigra..._

_Agent-G- The Pym thing's a kind of running joke in my fics, isn't it? Heh. _

* * *

"Hank, I would like you to meet Helia. Helia, this is your daddy."

Hank stared in disbelief. Did he just hear her right?

"Look, a fly just flew in his mouth...oh wait it's gone again."

The childish lisp pulled Hank from the quagmire of emotional quicksand that threatened to consume him. This gave him the presence of mind to shut his mouth, which had been slightly agape before. He cleared his throat uneasily. "Erm... I think we need to talk about this somewhere a bit more..." Hank looked around the alleyway that was scattered with debris and filth "

"Got any where in mind?" Synthia asked, setting Helia down on her feet.

"Well we could go back to the place where I live. My friends live there too but they'll be sure to give us privacy."

* * *

**Xavier's-**

Hank walked towards the door of the mansion cautiously, he didn't want to get apprehended before he had a chance to explain things to Charles. But first and foremost in his mind was getting Synthia and Helia somewhere safe to rest free from the prying eyes of the mansions other occupants. When he had viewed the pair in daylight it had become obvious that neither was in the best of health. Both appeared rather bruised and bloody but Synthia in particular looked drawn and under-weight.

Before opening the door Hank set Helia down from her perch on his broad shoulders, his eyes sweeping over her quickly as if to check she was still safe. He took in the dark shadows under her cerulean blue eyes; eyes formed like Hanks own had been in his younger days. Her blonde wispy hair only emphasised the paper like quality of her pale skin, which was covered with scratches and bruises in varying stages of healing.

Hank opened his mouth to speak before he followed Synthia's gaze to the doorstep.

"Have we come at the wrong time?" Synthia asked taking her daughters hand in her own.

"I really don't know. It's probably nothing the guys can't handle alone though." Hank said, not sounding too sure, there was certainly a lot of blood spattered about.

If Synthia had known Henry McCoy better she would have noticed that every move he made, even his uncharacteristically plain vocabulary screamed that he was less than confident about the situation.

'Sure Henry, throw you into a life or death battle to save the world and you're all bubbly vivacity. Yet an old love turns up with your child and you feel as awkward as an adolescent on his first date.' Hank thought with a sigh as he walked into the mansions reception.

"By the ethereal light, it's huge!" Helia breathed eliciting a chuckle from Hank.

"Yes I suppose it is." Hank said remembering the first time he had walked into the reception all those years ago, although it had changed somewhat since then.

Synthia just looked at her daughter with pride as Hank moved towards the phone to try and locate Charles. He dialled the internal number for the Professors office when Emma burst in.

"Where have you been?" Emma said somewhat breathlessly like she had been running.

Hank looked over to his guests and offered an apologetic smile for Emma's intrusion.

"Good day Miss Frost. Any idea where Charles is?" Hank asked with his best smile.

"At this moment Henry I don't care. We have an emergency that you need to attend to."

"Now's not a good time..." Hank began. 

Emma's eyes swept over the guests "You're right it's not, Tigra's in the med bay bleeding to death."

Hanks mouth formed an 'O' of surprise. "Emma if you would kindly show my guests to somewhere more comfortable, I shall make my way down to the med bay now."

With that Hank careered off down the hall in a series of leaps and bounds.

The door to the med bay opened with a swoosh and Hank immediately began scrubbing in to prevent the risk of infection before examining the young woman on the bio-bed.

After an all too quick examination Hank began getting down to the rather delicate procedure of removing the bullets from Tigra's bloodied body.

_{Emma, would you mind scrubbing in I could do with a hand.}_ Hank asked not looking up from his task, as he smelt Emma approaching a second before the doors opened.

'God I hate Monday's.' Hank thought with a grimace.

_TBC..._

_Next: The other X-Men meet Helia..._


	5. Synthia

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 5: Synthia**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-man**

**And**

**Anything but Ordinary**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

_Shout Outs-_

_Showstopper- Glad you liked Helia, more from her next. _

_Ldypebsaby- Yeah, Mondays suck for me too. We're undecided whether to make Helia a mutant yet._

_Agent-G- The other guys are going to meet Helia and Synthia next._

* * *

**Xavier's-**

Hank and Emma were hurriedly removing the bullets from Tigra's body. Well, Hank was actually doing the operating while Emma stood by with the necessary tools. Hank wasn't much of an expert on bullet wounds so he called in Annie Ghazikhanian, the human nurse that worked at the Institute. Before she became the school's nurse, she worked at an emergency ward and was used to dealing with lots of people with bullet wounds.

'Thankyou Emma, that will be all for now.' Hank said as he removed the last bullet from Tigra's body. 'Annie and I will finish up here.'

Emma silently nodded her consent and left the med bay.

Once outside, she slumped against the wall and let out a groan. It wasn't that she was a squeamish person, you'd never get to be White Queen of the Hellfire Club if you were scared of a little blood, it was just that she felt dirty after almost getting covered in Tigra's blood as she held the weretiger in her arms.

'I'm going to need to shower for a month.' She muttered to herself.

Unfortunately for Emma, Jean Grey was just around the corner and heard everything that was going on.

'What's the matter, Emma dear?' The redheaded telepath asked with a cocky smile. 'Afraid of a little blood?'

'Oh, get a flaw you cow.' Emma muttered before storming off to have a shower.

* * *

**The teachers' lounge-**

Synthia and Helia were waiting patiently in the teacher's lounge for Hank to finish his business. Emma had kindly offered Synthia some coffee, which she gratefully accepted.

Synthia looked over at her daughter who was sat in front of a small TV happily watching cartoons. She marvelled at how similar to Hank she was, yet so much different too. Helia and Hank had the same blue eyes that shone with childlike wonder and the same love for fun. But then again, Helia wasn't a fuzzy blue cat, unlike her father. Although, Hank was in his fuzzy blue ape form when Helia was conceived and it was a wonder that the young girl wasn't fuzzy and blue herself. Synthia just shrugged off the thoughts. Perhaps her mutant powers, if she even has any, will manifest during puberty.

Synthia's musings were halted when someone walked into the teachers' lounge.

'I'm telling you Warren; I was so over that Sentinel. I woulda aced that simulation if you hadn't messed it up for me.'

'Bobby, we've got guests.'

Bobby Drake and Warren Worthington stopped in midstep and stared blankly at the woman and young child sitting in the teacher's lounge.

'Can we help you?' Warren asked. 'This area is for faculty only I'm afraid.'

'I was told that it was alright if I stayed here for a while.' Synthia replied. 'Well that's what the blonde woman told me.'

'This blonde woman didn't happen to be wearing tiny white leather hot pants, did she?' Warren asked.

'Yes, that's the one.' Synthia replied.

'Definitely Frosty.' Warren and Bobby both said at the same time.

While the adults were talking, Helia had grown bored of watching cartoons and looked curiously at Warren, well his wings.

'Excuse me...' She said, tugging slightly on his sleeve. 'Are you an angel?'

Warren smiled slightly and kneeled down so he was eye to eye with the young girl.

'Kind of.' He replied.

'Do you live in heaven?' Helia asked.

'No, I'm afraid I don't.' Warren chuckled. 'I live here, so does Bobby.'

'My name's Helia, what's yours?'

'My name's Warren. Does your Mommy have a name?'

'My Mommy's name is Synthia.' Helia replied.

'Hello Synthia.' Warren said, nodding towards the older woman. 'What can we help you with exactly?'

'I'm actually here to see Henry McCoy.' Synthia replied. 'I came in here with him but he had to go to the med bay to operate on somebody called... Tigra, I think.'

'Wait a minute!' Bobby said. 'Tigra is here? Right in this very building? I'll just be one minute...'

'Hold it right there, Romeo.' Warren said, stopping Bobby in his tracks. 'Do you want us to show you around while Hank is busy?'

'I would like that very much.' Synthia replied.

'No offence or anything.' Bobby said. 'But how exactly do you know Hank?'

'He's my daddy.' Helia replied.

Warren and Bobby both fell silent as the sudden revelation dawned on them...

* * *

**Meanwhile-**

Hank and Annie had just finished patching up Tigra and were waiting her to come around from her anaesthetic.

'Well this is certainly a surprise.' Annie said. 'I've never actually met and Avenger. Well, I once saw Captain America but that's it.'

'Oh we know all the cool people.' Hank replied as he began to wash his hands. 'Some of them are even conscious.'

Hank turned as his sensitive hearing picked up a soft groan from the operating table.

'Oh God, what happened?'

'It's alright, Tigra.' Hank said as he made his way back to the operating table. 'You were shot but you're all patched up now.'

'Oh yeah, now I remember.' Tigra said as she put her hand to her head. 'There was a carjacker. I tired to stop him...'

'What exactly happened to this carjacker?' Annie asked.

'I think he crashed the car and went up in a ball of flames.' Tigra replied. 'My memory's still a bit muzzy.'

'That's just the anaesthetic.' Hank replied. 'It should wear off in a little while. I suggest that you get some rest while you heal.'

Tigra nodded silently and laid down onto the bed to get some rest. Then her eyes snapped open again.

**'Twinkies!'**

'Excuse me?' Hank asked, a little surprised at the sudden outburst.

'Twinkies.' Tigra replied. 'I was in the store buying some Twinkies for you before I saw the carjacker. I must've lost them somewhere.'

'That's quite alright.' Hank said as he gently patted her shoulder. 'We have plenty of Twinkies here. Now, get some rest.'

'Whatever you say, Doc.' Tigra replied.

After he was sure that Tigra was alright, Hank left the med bay along with Annie. Annie took one last look at the weretiger lying on the bed and cocked a curious brow.

'She's got the hots for you.'

'What?' Hank gasped. 'That's ridiculous!'

'Trust me on this one; she was buying Twinkies for you. We all know how much you love them, she was going to ask you out.'

'Rubbish.' Hank snorted. He then looked back into the med bay himself. 'Do you really think she has the hots for me?' he asked with a mildly curious look on his face.

'Oh yeah.' Annie replied. 'She's got it bad.'

* * *

**The teachers' lounge-**

Synthia, Helia, Warren and Bobby were joined by several of the other faculty members. Scott was there, as was Jean. Emma was back from her shower and dressed in a new reverse X-Bra and tiny hot pants. Logan was pouting in the corner, as he wasn't allowed to smoke his cigars because Helia was there. Kurt was there, entertaining Helia with his tail and Alex was there too, brewing up the coffee. The buzz of conversation stopped as soon as Hank and Annie entered the room.

'Daddy!' Helia squealed as she ran up and gave Hank a huge hug.

'Anything yer want ter tell us, Blue?' Logan smirked.

_TBC..._


	6. Explanations

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 6: Explanations**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary3**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

_Disclaimer- We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

* * *

_Shout Outs-_

_Showstopper- There will be a triangle, not with Synthia though. _

_Fuzzybluelogic- You may not have said much but your point was understood._

_Agent-G- As I said before, there will be a love triangle, but Synthia will not be involved. All will be made clear soon enough. _

* * *

**The rec room-**

Hank stared at those gathered around him.

"I would explain..." Hank began "...but I don't really know the semantics of the situation myself. So if you would kindly excuse me. Synthia, would you care for a stroll?"

Synthia nodded and followed Hank's lead out of the room.

Once they were on the grounds of the Xavier institute, Helia began to explore and marvel at the various flowers and plants secreted around them.

"She hasn't seen flowers in a long time." Synthia explained "Our world has become inhospitable, the darkness you aided me in fighting before has come back with force. She's not safe there."

Hank nodded, understanding in part, but didn't interrupt her in fear of cutting short her explanation.

"I brought her back here because I knew you would keep her safe." Synthia smiled as Helia sniffed some particularly flagrant roses.

"Why now? You could have come back as soon as you found out you was pregnant." Hank asked evenly.

"She was safe before, besides the opportunity to cross over between our plains of existence was never there before this morning." Synthia sighed "She is a gift, a present of the highest order. The day we met you saved my life, my world and in return I was duty bound to give you what your heart desired most in the world and at that time it was the family and children you thought you would never get."

Hank frowned slightly "It was thoughtful but such a gift isn't..." Hank floundered for the right words "...ethical. To give a child as a present..."

"It was what I wanted too." Synthia interrupted "It was what my people wanted; the women of our race are mainly barren. Helia is a symbol of hope to them and that is why she must be saved and protected."

They stood in silence for a moment as Helia brought a caterpillar over to her mother.

"Look at this! It's funny..." Helia said with a smile "What is it?"

Hank knelt down next to her "Why that's a caterpillar they grow into the most beautiful creatures in the garden."

"It looks ugly to me." Helia said with a grim face.

"Why don't you go back and put it where you found it. Then you can see how many others you can find." Hank challenged, getting back up from his knees.

"Okay!" Helia beamed before skipping back to the geranium where she had found it earlier.

"You will look after her won't you? Protect her with your life?" There was a tinge of desperation in Synthia's tone and expression at that question.

"Naturally." He said it softly but with concern lacing his voice. "What about you?"

"Three days from now I must return."

"Whatever for?"

"It is my place to fight beside my people and die to protect our freedom."

As an X-man Hank knew he had no right to dissuade her from her chosen path, nor could he if he tried. He knew what loyalty to a just cause was like.

"I will come back if, by the grace of all that is light, I should survive."

"You are a very brave woman. But please let me and my friends help." Hank pleaded with his eyes.

Synthia shook her head stubbornly "No, for one thing you would not make the journey there for you aren't a being of light."

"The offer remains if ever there is a way."

"Thank you." Synthia put her hand on Hanks arm gently "For the gift of Helia's life, for supporting me last time I was here and mostly for accepting my scant explanation."

Hank placed his paw on top of Synthia's hand "I could not live with myself if I had done anything less."

* * *

**Later-**

It wasn't that Hank didn't believe Synthia because he did, Helia's resemblance to him around her eyes was proof enough for him. But he was finding it difficult to soak all the information in; after all most fathers get a good nine months to prepare he was just thrown into the mix, so to speak. As a man who's job was to be ready for the unexpected; Hank had wanted a little warning when it came to personal matters on such a scale. But Henry McCoy was also grown up enough to realise what you want and what you get are two completely different subject matters. After all if he had been given a choice he would not look like a reject from a cereal package as he did currently.

Hank sighed heavily. He had secured Helia and Synthia in a room on the same landing as him. It was a room that once belonged to the mutant named Colossus, not that you would be able to tell from it's decoration, or rather it's lack there of. All of the ornaments, paintings and sketches that had once adorned the room had been removed and shared out among Piotr's friends, now all that was left was a husk of a room in beige. However, it had served as a reminder to Hank of just how ill suited his life was to raising a child; each day posed a new threat to the stability of the mansion and its occupants and the threat of death hung thick in the air as they prepared for each mission.

He got up from where he had been laid on his bed, flinching as he caught sight of himself in the mirror. Now he was facing a dilemma; albeit a small one. Brood in silence and do his usual 'I'm okay, see I'm still joking' gig or find someone to talk this through with. Unfortunately, as the mansions resident agony uncle, he had no one idea who to talk to. Jean would be his first port of call but he'd just seen her go out with Charles. Thus, his options narrowed somewhat, he decided on Bobby.

He descended the stairs slowly, devoid of his usual bounce as he became aware of eyes following him, be it students or teachers, each set of eyes hoping to snatch a slither of information regarding his predicament. Hank just settled for giving them an amiable smile as he made his way to the study.

"Henry." Emma greeted with a nod of her head.

Hank smiled relieved to find Emma and not someone more prying. "Greetings Emma. I don't suppose you know the whereabouts of Robert?"

Emma looked up from her magazine "He's down in the med bay gossiping with Tigra."

"Many thanks, Miss Frost." He said bowing out of the room.

Hank went off in pursuit of his best friend waving at a student who smiled in his direction. When he reached the lower levels he strode into the med bay cautiously.

"Bobby?"

"No just me." Tigra called out

"Oh..." Hank said slightly deflated "Any idea where he is."

"He's gone shopping for Twinkies and Crayola. Don't ask." Tigra didn't miss his down cast look "Everything alright?"

"Yes...ah...I just wanted to talk to him."

"Anything I can help with?" She asked propping herself up on one arm.

"Well..." He scratched the back of his neck self consciously "A past love has returned with my child. They have come from a barren war torn land where things are categorized as either light or dark. I don't even know if it is a real planet or a pocket dimension. All I know is that Synthia has thought it wise to return here and entrust Helia, that's my daughter, into my care...."

Once Hank started he couldn't stop pouring his heart out to her. Tigra for her part listened attentively, reassuring and soothing him when necessary. Once he had exhausted himself on that subject they moved on to other subjects from the initial awkward chat about the weather to a more intense discussion on the politics and hierarchy of the modern police force.

The ease the pair had in conversation marvelled Hank who didn't notice as the hours zoomed by in the space of what felt like half an hour. It wasn't until Emma came down to check that Hank wasn't pulling an all-nighter that the pair said their goodbyes.

TBC...

* * *

_Next: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Telepath Scorned_

_I can't tell you what I meant by that; it'll give too much away._


	7. Jealous

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 7: Jealous**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**And**

**Anything but ordinary3**

_**Disclaimer-** We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

* * *

**Shout Outs-**

_**Showstopper- **Good work on guessing the love triangle. Kinda predictable seeing who I tend to pair Hank up with._

_**Agent-G- **Don't feel left out, I don't know much about Synthia either, which is pretty dumb when I'm writing a fic with her in. Emma does have a habit of getting into triangles, doesn't she? First it was with Scott and Jean, now it's with Hank and Tigra._

* * *

**Xavier's-**

Emma Frost was annoyed. Not all that different from the Frosty that we all know and love, I grant you but this time it was different. Far from the fact that Jean was acting like she owned the Institute again, it was the fact that almost every person in the place, teacher and student alike, was talking about the fact that there was a celebrity in the building. They're weren't referring to the time Logan got caught naked in downtown Brooklyn, as funny as that was, they were talking about Tigra.

Emma had just arrived back from the med bay after checking up on the weretiger and was starting to get a headache from all the psionic chatter that was going on. You would think that nobody had ever seen a tiger in a black bikini before. Emma rubbed the bridge of her nose and decided to pop into the kitchen for a drink.

Emma was hoping for a quiet drink on her own but alas, it was not to last, Logan was already in there hogging the Jack Daniels.

'Aren't you drooling over the new arrival?' Emma asked as she grabbed herself a glass from the cupboard.

'It's nothin' I ain't seen before.' Logan replied. 'Once yer seen one scantily clad weretiger, yer seen them all.'

Emma nodded in agreement as she passed Logan her glass to be filled up. Logan took the hint and poured her some JD.

'I thought the White Queen was above getting' jealous.'

'Just pour the bloody bourbon, okay?' Emma groaned.

'Okay, I ain't yer momma.' Logan shrugged.

Emma downed the bourbon and wiped her mouth.

'Well, I can't stay here getting drunk all day, there's redheaded telepaths that need their authority undermined.'

Logan nodded his goodbye as Emma walked out of the door.

* * *

**Later-**

Not finding Jean anywhere, Emma decided to take stroll through the rose garden, that always seemed to help her clear her head. Emma plucked a rose form one of the bushes and sat down on the stone bench in the middle of the maze. She had become a cauldron of emotions lately, hatred for a certain redhead being one of the strongest, along with an emotion that she hadn't felt in a long time, something that made her insides feel all tangled together. It was most probably indigestion, she knew that she shouldn't have ate that day-old slice of pizza that she found in the fridge earlier. If Bobby were there, he would most probably crack a joke about PMS. Emma shook her head in exasperation; it was a miracle that Robert Drake had survived so long. She certainly wouldn't have brooked such actions back when she was White Queen.

Emma's brooding was interrupted as she senses several figures approaching. Oh, how she hoped it wasn't Beak and Angel, she so wasn't in the mood for getting crap from the overgrown KFC Bargain Bucket and his bitch. Fortunately, it was the Stepford Cuckoos.

Emma sighed in relief as she saw the five identical telepaths walk through the entrance.

'We could sense your anguish from inside, Miss Frost.' They all chimed at once. 'Is there anything that you want to talk about?'

'Not really girls.' Emma replied. 'Just the daily grind of working under the thumb of a tyrannical redhead.'

'Oh, Mrs Summers.' The girls nodded. 'We don't like her either, she's false and she smells of onions.'

A small smile spread on Emma's face, the girls had been raised well. They would soon be on par with Emma in respect to their hatred of Jean.

'It's a man, isn't it?' The girls asked. 'The only way you get like that is when there is a man that you like. Oh God, it isn't Mister Summers, is it?'

'God no!' Emma winced. 'Give me some credit girls. I do have some taste!'

'Well who is it then?' The girls asked again. 'Is it Mister Drake? We never thought that he was the type of man that you would go for.'

'Once again, no.' Emma replied. 'Can you really see me going for someone like Robert Drake? The day that I end up with a man like him is the day that Scott Summers grows a spine.'

'Is it Mister Worthington?' The girls asked once more. 'He is more your type, he has lots of money and a cute butt!'

'I must agree with you on the last count.' Emma replied. 'But Warren isn't the one.'

'So there is a man in your thoughts!' The Cuckoos said, identical smiles spreading on their faces. 'We shall soon find out who it is, Miss Frost. We promise you that.'

Emma just shook her head good-naturedly and got up to leave.

'Well I can't stay here gossiping about the menfolk, I'm going into the study to think, alone!'

* * *

**The study-**

Emma was enjoying the solace of the study when she sensed Hank walk in the room.

'Henry.' She greeted with a nod of her head.

A small smile spread on Hank's face at the sight of Emma. 'Greetings Emma. I don't suppose you know the whereabouts of Robert?'

Why was it that nobody was ever looking for her? Emma looked up form her magazine so she could see the fuzzy blue scientist.

'He's down in the med bay gossiping with Tigra.'

'Many thanks, Miss Frost.' Hank said a she bowed out of the room. This now left Emma alone again. Damn, it was a lonely life being the token hottie in the Institute. That had all changed since Tigra's arrival however. Emma had never thought that she would meet somebody more scantily clad than her but the former Avenger had discarded that theory straight away. Perhaps the time had come for Emma to out Tigra in her place; there was only room for one scantily clad female in this Institute!

Emma got up form her chair and marched purposefully to the med bay. Upon reaching her destination she heard voices talking. It was Hank and Tigra talking about the benefits of an all-Twinkie diet. No matter what Emma's reputation was, she couldn't just waltz in and demand to talk to Tigra, Emma did have some decency.

Emma walked into the med bay and waited patiently for Hank and Tigra to finish talking.

'I trust you're not planning on holding an all-nighter, Henry.' She said as a means to break the silence.

'Ah, Miss Frost.' Hank said awkwardly. 'Tigra and I were just... talking about the politics and the hierarchy of the modern police force.'

Emma could swear that she sensed something else going on between the two. It wasn't her place to pry into hank's private life; he had enough on his plate with the sudden revelation that he had a daughter. So she just made up an excuse to get him out of the room.

'Henry, Scott was looking for you, he wanted you to help him with something in the Danger Room.'

'Well, I guess that is my signal to leave.' Hank said as he turned to Tigra. Your wound shave healed nicely so you should be up and about by tomorrow.'

'Glad to hear it, Hank.' Tigra replied. 'I'm starting to get butt sores.'

Once Hank had left the room, Emma turned to the weretiger and fixed her with a stare.

'We need to talk...'

**TBC...**

****


	8. Goodbye

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 8: Mondays**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

__

_**Disclaimer-**_ _We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

* * *

_**Shout Outs-**_

_**Potter-Phenix- **Glad you liked it. Thanks for the A, that's the first one ever for me._

_**Agent-G-** I agree with you on that point about Tigra, I wouldn't moan about a lady dressed like that. Heh._

**Hank's room-**

Hank's day started like no other, he woke up to feel an unfamiliar weight on his chest and something tugging at his fur.

"Wake up" Came a childlike demand.

Hank cracked an eye open and reached for his glasses from his nightstand "Helia?"

"Mommy's gone, go find her."

Hank's eyes flew open "Oh my stars and garters."

Helia giggled, "You're strange."

"Helia why don't you go back to your room and get dressed then we can go and find your mommy together?"

"Ok." Helia said bouncing off, not overly worried by her mother's disappearance more annoyed by the inconvenience of it.

Hank got out of bed quicker than Northstar at the possibility of showering with Bobby and threw on some clothes haphazardly; hoping it wasn't too late and she hadn't already left.

* * *

**Manhattan-**

Synthia hadn't been too hard to find, she was wandering around the grounds biting at her thumbnail nervously.

"Synthia..."

"Hank, Helia...I...I'm going back today, soon. I thought you were still asleep." Synthia stammered

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye to Helia were you?" Hank asked, angered somewhat at the thought.

"Don't be angry. I...I thought it would be easier for us both." Synthia blushed

Hank set Helia down from where she was perched on his shoulder "Easier for you perhaps, she would resent you forever if you just went without so much as a goodbye."

"Mommy, where are you going?" Helia asked tugging at her mother's skirt.

"I'm going home darling." Synthia said softly sweeping her small daughter into her arms.

"Can I come too?"

"No sweetie...it's not safe for you there."

Tears began to brim in Helia's eyes, tugging at Hanks heartstrings.

"But mommy I don't want you to leave. Can't you stay here?" She pleaded

Synthia hugged her close "I don't expect you to understand now, but one day you will understand why I had to do this."

The tears began to overflow from Helia's cerulean blue eyes.

"Shush, it will all be fine." Synthia soothed; tears of her own filling her eyes.

"Will you come back soon?" Helia sniffed wretchedly.

Hank couldn't help but let a few tears of his own brim over, he dabbed at them quickly with his handkerchief.

"I don't know." Synthia said sadly. "Now you be a good girl for your daddy. Teach him how to make your bed properly and don't forget me okay?"

"I won't, never ever." Came the small sob in reply.

Hank decided it was time to step in when a blinding light flashed dazzling him momentarily before he could observe the tear in the fabric of space and time.

Synthia handed Helia to Hank who clung to his neck sobbing into his shirt.

"Take care of her Henry." Synthia said kissing him lightly on the cheek.

Hank nodded in assent, not trusting his voice.

"Goodbye sweetheart, mommy loves you." Synthia said stroking Helia's hair before turning and walking into the portal.

Helia didn't even lift her head from Hanks shoulder to watch her mother leave.

* * *

****

**Xavier's, the med bay-**

"Where is she now?"

"In bed, sleeping." Hank said grimly having described the whole thing so Tigra. "The poor child, I can only imagine what it is like for her to be left alone in a new environment with a bunch of strangers. Even I am unknown to her."

Hanks sigh was heartfelt and Tigra felt it right down to her toes, she put her hand on his arm softly.

"I don't know what to do." Hank admitted, "I hate that feeling, the powerlessness of it all. I think on the scale of the world's greatest fathers I am going to be right down the bottom."

"Don't be so stupid you are a kind, caring, brave man who will do his best to bring up his young daughter." Tigra said firmly

"What if my best isn't good enough?"

"It will be."

Hank opened his mouth to protest but Tigra cut him off.

"Look, worrying and self depreciation has never been your most attractive trait so you might want to cut it out. Yes life sucks, but everything will work out fine, I promise. Where's all Bouncy blue's optimism gone?"

Hank smiled "You are right, of course. Everything will be fine, I have a daughter to look after now, I have to be fine."

"That's the attitude." Tigra paused "Not that I am complaining or anything but when am I going to get out of here?"

"Well, you can move into a guest room this evening and venture outside in a day or so, you will have to be accompanied though just to check you are ok and have no adverse reactions to the medication." Hank turned professional, propping his glasses on his nose.

"Oh good. Don't suppose you fancy accompanying me on a date."

"I'm sure your date would be more than adequate at watching over you, no need for me to play gooseberry."

"No silly, just you and me." A smile played across Tigra's lips. 

"Oh...erm...in that case...what about Helia?"

"We could go after you have put her to bed, I'm sure Jean would look after her."

"Ok." Hank smiled broadly "It's a date."

* * *

****

**The park-**

"I've got to admit Hank, I'm hurt you didn't think of me."

"Come now Robert, you can take your turn to look after Helia at the first appropriate occasion."

Hank soothed his best friend of years as he watched Helia climb the steps of a slide.

Bobby had proposed a trip to the park as a way to cheer the three of them up and so far it was resounding success, in so much as it was distracting Helia from her morose mood momentarily.

"Anyway, don't you think you are focusing on the wrong part of this conversation?" Hank asked as Helia came to a stop at the bottom of the slide.

Bobby smiled as he saw the little girl run over "Really? What was I meant to focus on?"

"The fact I have a date with the hottest woman the Avengers ever had the good fortune to number among their establishment."

"I thought you said you were going on a date with Tigra not the Scarlet Witch." Bobby teased mischievously.

Helia tugged at Hanks shirt pointing at the swing "Can I go on that?"

"Of course you can, you can do anything you want." He said scooping her up "I'll push you."

"If we can do anything we want, will you buy me an ice cream?" Bobby grinned hopefully

"If you want an Ice cream, Bobby you are old enough to buy your own." Hank said putting Helia on the swing and pushing her lightly

"What's an ice cream?" Helia asked holding on to the swing seat.

"I think it would be best to show you." Bobby beamed, holding his hand out for Hank to give him some money. "I'll be right back angel, you want anything Hankster?"

"I'm fine thank you Robert, wouldn't want to waste your money." Hank said somewhat dryly

"Well you know. I'm not tight like some people."

Hank shot him a look.

"I meant Scott, sheesh." Bobby muttered before sauntering off to the ice cream stand and waited in line.

"Is that your little girl over there?" Came a female voice from behind him.

Hank was going to say no when she continued to talk.

"You know you seem like a really doting dad, you can always tell how a guy will treat his partner by the way he looks after his kids."

Bobby smiled "Really?"

"Sure. Oh you're next." The woman indicated the ice cream man waiting to take his order.

Bobby ordered quickly and handed over Hanks money, he waited for a few minutes for the woman to make her order, pretending to fiddle with the change.

"I admire what you are doing you know." The woman said once she had been served.

"What's that?" Bobby asked slightly confused.

"You know, coming out with your partner and showing that gay couples are as capable of bringing up children as straight ones."

"Wait...I'm not gay...Hank's my friend." He protested weakly as the woman patted his arm lightly before making her way back to her family.

* * *

****

**Later-**

"I'm telling you Hank, babes dig the single father." Bobby said, slightly ticked off by his friend's reaction.

Hank tried to subdue his laughter wiping the tears from his eyes. "But she thought you were gay."

Helia laughed along with her dad although she didn't know what the joke was.

"Yeah, well that's your fault. If it was just me and Helia I would have a date tonight, right angel?" Bobby smiled at Helia "You would like to go out with just your uncle Bobster and help him attract the ladies, wouldn't you?"

Helia stopped laughed and looked up at Hank with wide eyes. "Is he going to run away and make me go with him?"

Hank patted her head comfortingly "No of course not, Uncle Bobby's having a _moment_."

Helia licked her ice cream thoughtfully "A moment?"

"Hank don't poison her against me, I thought you were my best friend. Don't you want to see me happy?"

"I just don't want you to use my daughter to lie so can get a date, not only is it sad, it's...."

Hank didn't get any further as a delicate hand touched his shoulder. "That you blue?"

Hank turned around with a small intake of breath.

"Look what the trash man left behind." Bobby muttered.

"Trish...I...er...fancy you being here?" Hank spluttered in surprise.

"And who's this little cutie?" Trish said bending down to Helia's level, making the girl hide behind Bobby's legs.

"That's my daughter, Helia." Hank said uncomfortably.

"Well either nature works quickly now a day's or there is something you didn't tell me." She said, frowning slightly.

Hank cleared his throat puffing his chest out slightly getting ready to retort, but he seemed to lack the courage. Bobby always ready to help elbowed him in the ribs.

"I really...er...don't see how it's any of your concern anymore. Besides I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning to find another aspect of my life slandered across the news, especially when it concerns my family." He had started hesitantly but his voice was soon tinged with bitterness and if Trish's face was anything to go by it had had the desired effect.

Her mouth opened and closed slightly, like a fish out of water, before her it could finally form words. "I guess you're right, I really don't care."

With that she strode off swinging her briefcase.

"Ouch!" Bobby winced

"Who was that lady? She smelt like that stuff the cat lady eats." Helia spoke up before Hank could reply to Bobby

"What? Tuna?" Bobby asked trying to stifle a giggle.

Hank looked down at his child proudly "My daughter is very observant."

* * *

****

**Back at Xavier's-**

Hank and Bobby got back to the mansion each holding Helia's hands, occasionally 'swinging' her along causing giggles, making their way down to Hanks lab and his Twinkie stash.

Hank knew her cheery disposition wouldn't last the week, as the days would pass Helia would become more and more aware of her mom's absence and miss her all the more. He sighed, it's always hard to lose your mother no matter your age, but when you have relied on her so wholly for your short life the pain of separation must be unbearable.

Hank's musing was cut short as Emma slammed her way up from the med bay, looking slightly frosty. (Excuse the pun.)

"Ah. Drake." Emma growled, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him off.

"Emma!" Bobby squeaked in surprise before mouthing _'Help me'_ in Hank's direction.

Hank took the only wise course of action in the situation. "So, still up for Twinkies?"

**TBC... **

**

* * *

_Next: Argument_**

_Why was Emma so annoyed and why did she drag Bobby away like that? Could it have something to do with the fact that Hank has a date with Tigra? _


	9. Bobby

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 9: Bobby**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**And**

**Anything but Ordinary**

_**Disclaimer- **We don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel._

* * *

_**Shout Outs-**_

_**SpyOfNabiki- **Glad you liked it. Sorry, no (ahem) catfight, Emma is one for bitching with said victim. However, if it's a telepathic catfight you're after, check out _'Diamonds are a Fuzzy Dude's Best Friend'_ there's much more catfights there._

_**Proponent of EVO- **I can't take the blame for that line, it was Anything but Ordinary's fault._

_**Agent-G- **Yeah, that pissed me off too. It was just low. Don't worry though, there will be much more Trish bashing where that came form. _

* * *

**Med bay-**

Emma was in the med bay taking care of Tigra. The weretiger was feeling considerably better after her gunshot surgery. She was starting to get rather antsy actually. Tigra had never been much of a patient person so you can imagine how it felt for her to be cooped up in the med bay.

'I never thought you would be the caring type.' Tigra said as she looked over her trashy magazine.

'I don't.' Emma replied simply. 'I'm only doing this so I don't have to look at Jean longer than I have to.'

'That bad, huh?' Tigra sniffed. 'You really hate her, don't you?'

'Am I really that transparent?' Emma asked as she sat down on the edge of a bed.

'Well, you know what people say about white and water.' Tigra snickered.

Emma just shook her head and got up to leave.

'Remember you're only supposed to venture outside with somebody with you.' Emma said.

'Oh, that reminds me!' Tigra replied. 'I'm going out with a date with Hank on Friday, isn't that cool?'

Emma's face fell at the weretiger's words. If it wasn't worse enough that everybody was talking about her, now she had to go and steal Hank away.

'It seems that somebody's values have gone down the drain.' Emma sniffed.

'Excuse me?' Tigra asked, surprised at Emma's comments.

'I said that Hank's taste has certainly gone out the window since your arrival.' Emma replied. 'He's always had a soft spot for scantily-dressed women.'

'Oh, and you're jealous all of a sudden.' Tigra snickered. 'Somebody's taken the focus off the White Queen and she's getting bitchy.'

Emma just growled in anger and stormed out of the med bay. A couple of metres up the corridor, she bumped into Hank, Bobby and Helia.

'Drake.' She growled as she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.

'Emma!' Bobby squeaked in surprise. 'What's the rush?'

Once they had reached a safe distance away. Emma let him go and spun to face him.

'You're coming out for a date with me on Friday.'

Bobby blinked a few times in confusion.

'Right...'

'I could always make it worth your while.' Emma added as she stroked his arm gently.

Bobby gulped nervously and squeaked a few random things.

Emma pouted childishly and sidled upto Bobby a bit more.

'So, do you want to come on a date with me?' She asked huskily.

'Okay...' Bobby squeaked.

'See you later Bobby.' Emma replied as she stroked his face as she walked off.

Once she had gone, Bobby fell against the wall and started to hyperventilate.

'Holy crap! I've got a date with Emma Frost! Holy crap!'

* * *

**Later-**

Jubilee was walking along by the dormitories and stopped in midstep as she heard heavy breathing coming from a nearby linen closet. She flung open the door and saw Bobby curled into a ball breathing into a paper bag.

'I don't wanna know.' She sighed with a roll of her eyes.

'I've got a date with Emma.' Bobby replied as he stopped hyperventilating.

Jubilee just burst out laughing.

'Bwahahahaa! Pull the other one Drake! Frosty going on a date with you? Ha!'

'No, I'm telling the truth.' Bobby replied. 'She grabbed me outside the med bay and asked me out on a date. Well, it was more like instructing me to take her out on a date.'

'Geez, standards have sure gone down the crapper since the old days.' Jubilee muttered as she walked off shaking her head.

* * *

**Helia's room-**

Helia was holding a tea party in her room. Amongst her special guests were Emma, Remy and Jean. Remy was there because he was a sucker for cute little kids while Emma was there simply to see Jean be humiliated.

'Mmm, did is nice tea.' Remy said as he sipped pretend tea from a tiny pink cup.

'Unca Remy, you forgot to stick your pinky up.' Helia instructed him.

'Sorry.' Remy replied as he stuck his pinky up in the air and took another sip of tea. 'Mmm, nice tea p'tite.'

'You talk funny.' Helia giggled as she poured more pretend tea into the cups. Then she noticed that Jean and Emma weren't drinking their tea.

'Don't you like your tea?' Helia asked, her lip wobbling slightly.

'I've had my fill I'm afraid.' Emma replied. 'But I'm sure that Jean would like some more. Wouldn't you dear?'

Jean narrowed her eyes at the blonde and held out her cup for more tea.

'May I have some more tea, please?' She asked through clenched teeth.

Helia didn't notice the sniping between the two grown up women and poured the tea regardless.

'When you've finished that we're going to braid each other's hair. Who wants to go first?'

Emma and Jean both looked at Remy.

'I think that Uncle Remy wants to have his hair braided.' Emma said with an evil grin.

Helia giggled in glee as she got up from her tiny little chair to find the braiding kit that Betsy had brought her earlier.

'Not a word o' dis to de others.' Remy hissed.

* * *

**Later-**

Helia was now sitting in the garden playing with some dolls. She was too engrossed with playing to notice the sudden gathering of X-Women around her. Ororo, Betsy, Kitty, Jean and Rogue were all there making various cooing noises while their other halves were keeping their distance.

Logan looked at Remy with his new braided hair and was about to make a comment when the Cajun cut him off.

'Don' even ask.'

Then, to all the males' shock, the women turned all at once and fixed them with freaky stares.

'I want one!' They all hissed.

Logan, Warren, Pete, Scott and Remy just looked at each other and decided that the best thing to do would be run away, fast!

**TBC...**

* * *

_**Next: Dates**_


	10. Dates

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 10: Dates**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary3**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**Disclaimer-**_Emma, Bobby, Hank, Tigra and the X-Men all belong to Marvel. Helia belongs to Anything but ordinary3._

* * *

**Shout Outs-**

**Sakura Sohma- **_Glad you liked it, fluff rules!_

**Ldypebsaby- **_At least Emma isn't jealous of Jean anymore._

**SpyOfNabiki-**_Heheh, any excuse for a love triangle._

**Agent-G- **_I think Bobby's more nervous that he's going on a date with Frosty, she does have a reputation you know._

**Thanks to- **_Freakaleek4jello_

* * *

**Xavier's-**

"So how do I look?" The voice held the faint trace of fear

"Like you are awaiting execution." Came the deep rumblings from the expanse of blue and black.

"Well you know what Hankster you don't look so confident yourself." Bobby commented "In fact you look like you are going to a funeral."

"Yeah, yours." Hank mumbled under his breath, cleaning his glasses on a cloth.

Bobby continued as if he hadn't heard "…and besides whoever told you blue and black go together."

"The same person who said that women love ice wedgies."

"Oh Hank that was low and in my defence I thought that…." Bobby stopped for a moment to think "Ok so I have no defence for that."

Hank chuckled and got up from the chair on which he had previously been seated.

"Where you going big guy? Don't tell me you are standing me up." Came a husky voice from the door.

"Tigra." Hank half yelped "I mean er…I'm just heading to check on Helia quickly before we go, these last few days have been hard for her and…"

"Henry you are babbling." A more haughty and frosty voice cut in from the doorway behind Tigra.

"Emma." Bobby greeted with a gulp. "You look…"

"Fabulous I know." Emma said gliding across the room in a white dress and matching stiletto's. Hank excused himself quietly and bolted out the door shutting it behind him.

He padded to his daughters room quietly and opened the door a crack, smiling to hear her soft snores. He noticed he could hear her staccato heartbeat without even straining his ears, a benefit of his latest transformation.

He walked over to her bed and softly brushed her hair away from her face, admiring the thickness of her eyelashes laid against the smooth, pale curve of her plump cheeks. He bent down and pressed his lips against her forehead gently before retreating from the room.

Truth be told Henry McCoy had gone to see his newly found daughter more as an excuse to catch his breath and psyche himself up for this evenings date (or as he liked to think of it _'ordeal'_). It wasn't that Hank wasn't looking forward to it, quite the contrary in fact and that was the problem.

The problem –or problems—was that he was scared of it not quite attaining the high heights he hoped it would, for the past few days Hank had been thinking of nothing but this date with Tigra. He had a whole mini movie in his head on how it would go; he would be charming and witty, everyone would focus on him and listen earnestly to what he had to say. Unfortunately, it had been so long since he had been on a date he was scared he might make some heinous faux pas and neglect to observe dating etiquette, after all it had been ages since Hank had had a proper date. _Ages_.

Even then he had been dating the witch (or Trish Tilby as the general populace knew her) for years and the rules of dating hadn't mattered anymore. His last date with her had resulted in the collapse of the relationship thanks to his new accursed form, which had transformed the predatory look, which had used to make the witch swoon, into a threatening gesture.

Further more the date wasn't with a perfect stranger it was with an old friend (who happened to be perfectly proportioned). If everything went belly up and he did something horrendous he would be unable to forget it as he would see her again, unless he ruined a perfectly good friendship in the process as well.

'_Henry! Stop thinking.' _His brain cautioned him forcefully; unfortunately Hank was on a roll.

Bobby 'elephants never forget' Drake was going to be there too, so just in case Hank did forget any cringe worthy moments Bobby would always be able to remind him of it and if he was _very_ lucky Bobby would even act it out for him.

'Sarcasm isn't attractive Hank ol' boy.' He thought to himself.

If you asked Hank, which nobody did, he was far too old to date. He should be happily married by now with a string of kids and adoring in-laws, he would not be in his current predicament; wondering if one was to kiss on a first date or just hold hands.

_Should they even hold hands?_

Hank was back outside the door to the main foyer where he could smell Bobby's cheap aftershave and deducted they had all gathered; he wasn't ready for this at all.

Hank took a gulp of air, like a drowning man preparing to get plunged into the deep once more, before striding into the hall more confidently than he felt.

"Tigra, as ravishing as usual." He bowed elegantly taking her hand in his and bestowing a kiss upon it.

"Why didn't I think of doing that?" Bobby muttered to himself, following Hanks lead and offering an arm for Emma.

Emma took it without a word; she seemed to be deep in though her eyes fixed on Beast's broad back in front of her.

* * *

**The restaurant-**

Bobby wasn't happy.

Throughout the meal his date ignored him; instead talking about stuff that went over his head to Hank and Tigra, the one topic he managed to follow soon passed and he was left folding his napkin into exotic balls once more.

Tigra took pity on him over dessert and initiated a chat with him over the best brand of ice cream but alas, this too ended in disaster as they began to argue at first good naturedly and then more heatedly about what was better 'Ben and Jerry's' or 'Carte D'or', they broke off their talk after their raised voices interrupted Hank and Emma's discussion on red wine.

Things got gradually worse as they left the restaurant and made their way to a dance hall down the street and Hank and Tigra left him alone with Emma while they went to get more drinks.

Sure Emma was pretty to look at, but if Bobby was being totally honest the woman scared the hell out of him. One moment she could be purring words of love into your ear then next she would be lashing your ears off with her tongue; or so Bobby would imagine.

"So…ah…Emma, I hope you are having a good time." Bobby forced out uncomfortably.

Emma looked at him for a moment "How could I not with such delightful company."

Bobby wasn't sure if she was being honest or just jerking his chain but decided to take it as a compliment. He got too few compliments to just ignore this one, ambiguous as it was.

"Why thank you Emma." Bobby said brightening up a little but keeping his eyes glued to the table just in case she were to turn him to stone in a mad medusa like fashion.

"What a marvellous musculature."

"Well I have been working out." Bobby grinned flexing his muscles before glancing up at her and followed her gaze. "Oh has he got a smashed Twinkie tangled in his neck fur again?"

Bobby squinted trying to see if there was any evidence to prove this.

Emma looked back at Bobby rather startled "No, I was just admiring his bu…beautifully tailored suit."

"Oh that, I think it used to belong to an undertaker." Bobby attempted to joke feebly.

"Oh really." Emma said taking a sip of her white wine spritzer and looking over at Bobby's best friend again.

Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose dragging his fingers against his closed eyelids before doing so, dismayed at Emma's blatant disregard to his rather genius joke. Alright so it wasn't that genius and she was obviously enamoured with him but the least she could do was a little light laugh…damn it a simple grunt in acknowledgement of its humorous value would have sufficed. Bobby could swear that she wasn't listening to him; he would say she was too dazzled by his sparkling, pearly white smile but she wasn't even looking at him.

Bobby pushed all bitterness at this to one side charitably as Hank and Tigra made their way back with the drinks.

"Another white wine for Emma, a red wine for me, a vodka and coke for Tigra and a pint for Robert." Hank counted out as he handed out the drinks.

"Well I don't know about you Bobby but I feel rather common compared to these two." Tigra commented, not seeming in the least bothered.

Bobby smiled "Tell me about it and please can we not talk about multinational conglometers…"

"Conglomerates." Hank corrected helpfully

"Whatever. Just let's not talk about them anymore."

Tigra smiled in agreement "You know for a moment I thought I was in a business meeting."

"I apologise milady." Hank said humbly "Perchance a dance to lift the mood"

"Are you asking me to dance?" Tigra asked as she finished sipping her drink.

"Are you saying yes?" Hank shot back his eyes teasing.

"Come on big boy show me your moves." Tigra said grabbing hold of his hand and dragging him onto the dance floor.

Bobby looked around in panic; he had to ask Emma to dance now.

"Ah…Em…ma would you care to…that is to say would you…"

Emma rolled her eyes and stood up and walked to the dance floor.

"I'll take that as a yes shall I?" Bobby muttered trailing after her feeling every bit the whipped lap dog.

* * *

**The dance floor-**

"He does appear to be suffering does he not?" Hank murmured in Tigra's ear, inclining his head towards Bobby.

"Just a little." Tigra chuckled watching Bobby dancing woodenly.

"I don't think he really feels very comfortable with her, they have a kind love, hate relationship." Hank's voice was low.

"In what way?"

Hank chuckled "Well Bobby loves her body and she hates his."

Tigra laughed, moving her body slightly closer to Hanks.

"Seriously though I don't think he's ever really gotten over the fact that she invaded his body and could utilize his powers in ways he never even dreamt of. I don't think he will ever really trust her."

Tigra cast a sad glance over to Bobby "He's not very lucky in love is he really?"

"No, but then is anyone?" Hank commented voice etched with sadness.

"No, I suppose not." Tigra said laying her head on Hank's shoulder.

At the end of the dance Tigra glanced again at a dejected looking Bobby. "Shall I go and rescue him?"

Hank looked down at her softly "Why not?"

Tigra nodded squeezing his hand before striding across to where Bobby was awkwardly finishing his dance with Emma. She walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. Bobby spun around to see who it was face flooding with relief when he saw who it was.

"Dance with a fellow commoner?" Tigra asked cheerily.

* * *

**Later-**

The foursome got a taxi back to the institute chatting cheerily amongst themselves, Bobby and Hank benevolently treating the ladies to their special rendition of Frank Sinatra classics. When they finally reached home Hank noticed Tigra had become rather quiet.

"You okay?" He asked her as they stood on the front porch after paying the driver.

"I'm just feeling a little tired." Tigra said with a smile, albeit a small one.

"That's to be expected after all you have been through." Hank said offering her his arm and leading her into the mansion and into the staff common room sitting her down.

Bobby and Emma soon followed.

"Everything okay Henry?" Emma asked.

"I am here you know." Tigra said.

"Of course dear, I am sorry. Is everything okay Tigra?"

"Yes thank you Emma I am just a little tired." Tigra smiled falsely at the, according to Tigra, rather plastic looking blonde before standing up. "I think I should head up to the wooden hill to Bedfordshire."

"Allow me to…" Hank began.

"No that's fine. Thank you for a lovely evening though." Tigra said standing on tip toes to kiss Hank chastely on the cheek.

Hank smiled happily and Bobby winked at him and gave him thumbs up, he didn't notice though as he was too busy watching Tigra leave. Emma looked over at the Hank and then Bobby before marching over to the latter and engaging him in a rather passionate kiss, watching Hanks startled face throughout the intimate moment.

Dr McCoy, a man of discreet nature, backed out towards the door to give his friends time alone. Sadly his retreat wasn't as discreet as he had hoped as –somewhat startled by Emma's icy blue eyes locked with his during her moment of passion with his best friend--- fell over a wastepaper basket full of glass bottles, causing them to spill to the floor with a crash.

After stuffing the noisy contents of that awkwardly placed bin back he flew from the room faster than a vampire from garlic, leaving Emma with a curious smile across her face.

'Just what is Emma thinking?' Hank wondered that night in bed.

**TBC…**

* * *

**Next: Fuzzies**

_Helia finds out about Daddy's little night out._


	11. Fuzzies

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 11: Fuzzies**

**By**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**And**

**Anything but ordinary3**

**Disclaimer- **_The X-Men and Tigra all belong to Marvel, Helia belongs to Anything but ordinary._

* * *

**Shout Outs-**

**Ldypebsaby- **_Emma is great at a bitch, isn't she? Helia will get to know Tigra soon. As for Emma and Bobby, you'll just have to see…_

**Agent-G- **_Yeah, Bobby has never had any luck with women, ha she? Perhaps his luck is about to change though… You may be correct about Hank and Tigra ending up with other people but then again, maybe you're wrong…_

* * *

**Hank's room-**

Hank was woken up by a weight on his chest. Initially thinking that he had got drunk again and stole a traffic cone, Hank slowly opened an eye to make sure last night's escapades had been legal. Fortunately, Helia was sitting on his chest peering back at him.

'Daddy look out side, there's something wrong with the ground!' Helia said as she peered into Hank's eyes.

Hank, not fully with it in his sleep-addled state, slowly got up and peered out the window.

'That's snow, sweetie.' He explained.

'Snow?' Helia asked. 'What's that?'

'You get snow when the water in the air freezes and gets too heavy for the clouds to hold it, then it falls as snow.' Hank explained as he held up his daughter to see the view from his window.

Helia held out her hand and placed it on the glass.

'Ooh, it's cold.' She giggled. 'Is that because it's frozen?'

'Yes it is.' Hank replied, happy that his daughter was catching up so quickly. 'Keep up like that and you'll soon be a doctor like me.'

Hank gently put Helia back down on to the bed and padded over to his closet.

'Why don't you run along and find Auntie Kitty, she'd love to take you out in the snow.' Hank said. 'But remember to wrap up warm, we don't want you to catch a cold.'

'Kay, see you later Daddy.' Helia said as she hopped off the bed and hugged Hank tight before running off in search of Kitty Pryde.

* * *

**Later-**

Hank was dressed in a thick coat, scarf and boots and was strolling through the grounds searching for his daughter.

'Nice weather for it, huh cutie?' Tigra asked as she sidled up to Hank. 'But then again, any weather is good for _it_, right?'

'Ah Tigra, your first innuendo of the day and it's only… eight thirty-five, well done that must be a record.' Hank replied.

'You're so cute when you're all indignant and embarrassed.' Tigra chuckled. 'Your blush makes your fur look purple.'

'How dare you insinuate that I blush!' Hank gasped in mock shock.

'Insinuate nothing.' Tigra replied cheekily. 'You know you blush and don't you dare deny it.'

Hank just took Tigra's hand in his and walked with her through the grounds.

'No Helia with you?' Tigra asked as a means to break the silence.

'She's playing with Katherine somewhere.' Hank replied. 'Poor young Mr Rasputin must be quaking in his boots.'

'You don't think Kitty's getting all broody, do ya?' Tigra asked.

'I am willing to wager my whole Twinkie stash upon the fact.' Hank replied. 'It's almost s if Helia's arrival has sparked a race to see who can be the next X-Man to have a child.'

Tigra just smiled and laid her head on Hank's shoulder as they walked along.

'There he is girls, get him!'

Hank spun around as he heard the battle cry and received a face full of snow for his trouble.

'Way to go Helia!' Kitty snickered. 'That looked like a ten pointer to me!'

Helia just giggled at the sight of her father with blobs of steadily melting snow in his fur.

'Ah Katherine, leading my daughter astray I see.' Hank said as he wiped what snow he could from his face.

'At least Jubilee isn't looking after her.' Kitty replied. 'Just think what kind of terror they'd get up to.'

'I'd rather not thank you.' Hank winced. 'I have enough sleepless nights as it is.'

'Well, it's been nice playing with you Helia but I have to go see a Russian about a kiss.' Kitty said as she knelt down and gave Helia a quick hug.

'Tell Unca' Peter that I said hi, 'kay?' Helia replied.

'I'll give him a big, wet sloppy kiss all form you, okay sweetie?' Kitty replied. 'Seeya!'

Helia gave Kitty a quick wave and looked back to her daddy and the cat lady. Helia may only be eight years old but she knew when people liked each other and she had heard the other grown ups talking about her daddy, the cat lady and something called a _date_, whatever that was.

'Daddy, have you and the cat lady done kissing yet?'

Hank's eyes widened in surprise at the question and struggled to find an answer. Tigra on the other hand, was visibly amused.

'Yeah Hank, why haven't we done kissing yet?' The were-tiger teased.

'Et tu Tigra?' Hank muttered as he shot her with a half-hearted glare. 'I have kissed you, remember when I picked you up for the date last night?'

'That was just a kiss on the cheek.' Tigra snorted.' That's not a real kiss.'

'I meant grown up kisses, you big silly.' Helia giggled. 'Like they do on those shows the stinky glasses man watches.'

'I didn't know Scott watched trashy soap operas.' Tigra said.

'Oh yes, Scott is quite obsessed with them.' Hank replied. 'If he wasn't married to Jean I'd be quite worried about him.'

* * *

**Back inside-**

Helia, Hank and Tigra had got changed from their wet clothes into some dry ones and were sitting beside a roaring fire with a few other X-Men. Warren and Betsy were snuggled together on one couch while Kitty was petting Lockheed on her lap in a nearby comfy chair with her head laid gently on Piotr's shoulder.

Helia giggled as she threw chocolates over to Lockheed and the dragon snapped them up.

'I wouldn't give Lockheed too many chocolates, sweetie.' Kitty said. 'He'll get all fat and lazy.'

'As opposed to what he is now?' Betsy quipped.

'Lockheed isn't lazy.' Kitty replied. 'He's… careful with how he spends his time. The poor little guy doesn't want to spend all his energy in one go.'

'He's beautiful.' Helia giggled as she scratched Lockheed under his chin, eliciting a coo form the dragon. 'I wish I had a dragon like him.'

'I'd buy you a dragon, sweetie.' Hank replied. 'But Lockheed is one of a kind, Kitty found him in space you see.'

'You went into space?' Helia gasped. 'What was it like?'

'Well, it's kind of difficult to explain.' Kitty replied. 'I'm not sure if your daddy would like it if I told you all the scary details.'

'Yeah, like the part where you offered yourself to poor Petey there.' Betsy snickered.

'Hey, we were in grave danger and were about to die.' Kitty replied as she threw a cushion at the purple-haired Brit.

'And just why did you turn her down, Petey?' Warren asked, joining in with the teasing.

Piotr's face flushed bright red as he struggled to find an answer.

'Aww, Unca' Peter's gone all embarrassed!' Helia giggled. 'He looks like a great big tomato!'

'But a cute one, right sweetie?' Kitty asked.

'Yeah.' Helia replied. 'A great, big, cute, red tomato!'

'Do you X-Guys usually sit around sniping at each other like this?' Tigra asked. 'Or is it just a treat for the guests?'

'Oh no, this happens an astonishing amount of times.' Hank replied. 'We have to occupy ourselves when we're not running for our lives from giant killer robots or miscellaneous mutant psychopaths wanting to destroy the mansion.'

**TBC…**

* * *

**Next: Doctor**

_Hank takes Helia to meet an old friend of his, a certain mutant doctor and a former X-Woman from the Bronx._


	12. Doctor

**I Hate Mondays**

**Chapter 12: Doctor**

**By**

**Anything but ordinary3**

**And**

**The Uncanny R-Man**

**Disclaimer- **_All familiar characters belong to Marvel. Helia belongs to Anything but ordinary3._

* * *

**Author's note- **_Terribly sorry about the lack of an update, writer's block can be such a bitch sometimes. Fortunately, we're back and ready to inject some action into this baby. Enjoy!_**

* * *

Cecelia Reyes' new surgery, the Bronx-**

"Well it is quite remarkable, Cecilia. I commend you." Hank said, casting another glance around the sterile examination room.

"Thank you. I could never have achieved it without the financial backing of the professor and your sage advice." Cecilia said with a hint of pride as she glanced around her new doctor's surgery. "My offer still stands if you ever change my mind. I could put your mind to great use. After all, who knows more about mutantkind than you?"

Hank chuckled good-naturedly "I thank you, Cecilia. I am willing to continue aiding you in an advisory capacity but I feel my capabilities are best served teaching new mutants."

"As opposed to giving medical aid to mutants who find it difficult to find doctors, who have no Charles Xavier to turn to?" Cecilia pointed out evenly.

"You always did speak sense." Hank conceded "Truth be told, I don't feel ready to retire just yet; active service on the team nor teaching. The institute has been my home, the dream; my life, for so long that I can't imagine giving it up. I have tried before but I can't stay away for long."

"Well if you change your mind…"

"I shall hunt you down and thrust myself upon you."

"Henry McCoy...that could be seen as rude." Cecilia said in mock horror.

Hank flushed slightly "That wasn't…ah…that is to say…"

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Bobby said walking through the door, Helia on his shoulders.

"Nice joint Cecilia. But if you will excuse me, Hank here is your delivery, I shall catch you all later."

"Oh, what a shame." Cecilia commented dryly.

"Dr Reyes, babe. You know you love me and this little show of disdain is fooling no one."

"Bite me."

"It would be my pleasure." Bobby shot back with a smile.

Cecilia shook her head as the Bobby disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. "What's all that about?"

"Robert agreed to go shopping with Emma today, he said he would drop Helia off on the way to town." Hank filled her in as Helia regarded Cecilia with curiosity.

"And who might you be?" Cecilia asked crouching down so she was on eye level with the small girl.

"Helia." Hank's daughter said shyly, hanging on to her father's trouser leg, thumb firmly planted in mouth.

"Nice to meet you, honey. What do you think of my new surgery?"

"It's white." Helia replied after a few moments thought.

Cecilia chuckled, straightening up "Is she the daughter you told me about in you email?"

Hank ruffled his daughter's hair proudly "Indeed she is."

"Fancy a coffee?" She asked leading him through a hall of white tiles and cream paint, into more cosy living quarters.

* * *

**Meanwhile-**

Bobby looked at his watch wondering where Emma had gotten to; she had passed fashionably late about twenty minutes ago and was now traversing the road to no show.

When she did arrived forty-five minutes late Bobby was getting ready to leave.

"Robert. I hope I haven't kept you." She said in a voice that implied she didn't care in the least that he had been kept waiting.

"Oh no don't you worry your pretty blonde head about it. I enjoy standing like a spare part outside a woman's lingerie shop for forty-five minutes. It's a hobby of mine." The sarcasm was thicker than the Blob's thigh.

"Well we all know about your perversions Bobby, we don't need further elaboration." Emma said coolly, evidently not impressed with his sarcasm.

Bobby just gulped. Emma's frostiness put him on edge. He wished he was on an intellectual par with her like Hank, or that she was easy going and fun like Tigra and Cecilia.

He sighed submissively. "Lead the way."

* * *

**Outside Cecelia's surgery-**

He moved through the bushes careful to keep his self concealed, watching; waiting. He would strike when the first opportunity proved itself. The plan was ingenious.

'That's it charlatan, you get cosy. Ignore what the brat is doing.' He thought to himself darkly.

He moved slightly closer to the window, not close enough to be noticed but just the right proximity in which to watch the movements of his target.

Deep resonating laughter filtered through the glass windowpane with crystal clearness. That laugh irritated the outsider like sharp nails on a chalkboard. He was glad he would be the one to kill the laughter and give rise to howls of pain, call it his malicious side.

It was as much as he could do to stop an evil chuckle of delight bubble forth from his lips.

* * *

**Inside-**

"I envy you Cece, you always knew what you wanted and have never let anything—even the fact you are a mutant—stand in your way." Hank said with more admiration than jealousy. "Whenever I tried to do something like this and extricate from all this superhero-ing malarkey something emerges to suck me right back into it again."

Cecilia looked at him over her glasses sedately. "You obviously didn't want it that much."

Hank looked like he was going to protest but she cut him off with a look before continuing.

"That was not a dig Henry more an observation. Being a doctor is just a slice of what you are. Doing what you do means you get to do many other things too. You go on adventures to the furthest reaches of space, you meet the most iconic and powerful people on earth for lunch. Then for tea you go home and act as agony uncle for your teammates before pottering off to the lab to tinker with the technology light years ahead of the Windows XP I am currently running on. This has been your life for what? Ten years or more."

Hank shrugged startled that it had been quite so long. He could remember his first night at the Xavier institute like it was yesterday.

He had achieved much in these years; a successful career in bio-chemistry, more degrees than anyone else he's met, fame and acceptance off of the back of his stint with the Avengers—money even. But there he was, living in the same place, amongst the same people (with a few additions that is) but he didn't have the things he had aimed to achieve when he used to sit at home in Dunfee, Illinois all those years ago.

He had wanted a family above all else and while he had just found a daughter he didn't know he had and whom he loved very much, he was still miles away from his ideal.

He sighed sadly.

"Don't be sad Henry. You do important work, you help many people. If you cut off just one little thread of that huge spider web of responsibility you just wouldn't be you. You're not ready to call it a day yet, you belong with the X-men." Cecilia laid a hand on his cheek softly "If you didn't do what you do I…"

Cecilia was not destined to finish her sentence then and there it seemed as a shriek of fear pierced the calm. The scream caused Cecilia to visibly blanch and froze her to the spot.

She could only murmur one thing. "Helia."

Hank however, acting on impulse and fired out of the window feet first. He would remember later that his thought upon doing so, was that he would have to write Dr Reyes a cheque as soon as the opportunity would present itself.

All thoughts of re-imbursement soon flew from his mind upon landing, poised for battle, on the soft grass to be faced by a very familiar adversary.

"Greetings, I do hope I haven't called at an inopportune time?" A cheery voice greeted him. "Don't worry I shall disappear post haste now I have what I came to claim."

Tauntingly Helia was prodded, making her eyes widen in terror as if screaming but no noise escaped her lips restricted as she was by the hand over her mouth and the arm wrapped around her neck.Back with Bobby and Emma-

Bobby tried to hide his look of relief from his shopping addicted captor as he heard the familiar chime of his 'Ren and Stimpy' ring tone.

He dropped the bags he was laden a little too eagerly to escape even the bluntest of knives to notice. Emma Frost, was by no means blunt knife. Indeed if she was to be compared to any such cutlery she would be a meat cleaver, reasonably sharp and tactless. Even when her natural intuition was having an off day she always had her mutant gift of telepathy to fall back on.

Today Emma needed no such mutant gift.

"Robert, exciting as I realise it must be to receive an incoming call—god knows no sane mind would want to ring you—but you could at least have been careful with my Louis Vuitton." Emma sniffed before mumbling to herself. "All I try and do is educate the un-educated, socialise the un-socialised, but do I get any thanks? No."

The look on Bobby's face as he spoke in hushed tones soon silenced her.

"Ok, I'll be there in five minutes. See if you can try and stall him till we get there. Shh Reyes, everything will be fine. You've faced worse when you hung with us."

After a quick good luck Bobby hung up the phone. He looked at Emma he's eyes devoid of their uncharacteristic good humour. "We need to get to Cecilia Reyes like yesterday. They have trouble. You got you're car?"

"Yes, driver's parked up the street." She said. "What's going on?"

Bobby began to stride hurriedly towards the car. "I'll tell you on the way, now shift your butt."

Emma huffed slightly at that. Who was he to talk to the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club like that? Hell, she was his boss. She had the fortitude to realise however; this was not a time to pull rank.

"But what about my stuff?" She called after him slightly pathetically before sighing.

She followed after him, feeling very much like a puppy trailing after its master when the roles were clearly meant to be reversed. Emma hoped that there was good reason for this, she would probe his mind but the thoughts were so unfocused, so hurried she decided to wait until he could fill her in; resigned, this once, not to be in control. For now anyway.

* * *

**TBC…**

**Next: Villains**

_Who has kidnapped Helia? Will Hank and co. be able to rescue her? Tune in next time to find out…_


End file.
